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Entombed Arcana
DM * Tim Players * Ketaal, hobgoblin artificer * Relic, warforged artificer * Su, changeling warlock * Cade Brushgather, halfling bard Introduction In the darkness, the struggle is fierce, but the outcome is inevitable. Two larger figures clash with four smaller, the tunnel littered with the bodies of the smaller's companions. There is a cry, a thud, and then silence. Two trolls, bleeding but already recovering, stand still, chests heaving to catch their breath. After a moment, they proceed to search the bodies. One spits in disgust at finding little of value. Then, they both turn to retrieve their discarded pickaxes and resume digging. __ After a short time, the sound of the troll's digging abruptly changes as their tools encounter a void in the rock. Vague surprise shows in their furrowed brows; they peer through the hole in the rock and behold the gloomy confines of an ancient chamber. Even as they look, a thin tendril of ...darkness wends its way through the hole, as if it were a hand groping for something. The brutes look at each other, puzzled. This is not something within their normal field of expertise. As the trolls ponder what to do, behind them the small forms, once still, now begin to rise. One by one they shamble forward toward the hole. Two terrified roars resound about the tunnels, sending all other denizens scurrying away in terror. __ One by one, the Wayfinders begin to arrive an at the Golden Horn , one of Upper Menthis Plateau's upscale inns. It is late afternoon, and the inn has not yet received its dinner rush. A mustachioed maître d' makes his way over to you, asking if he may be of assistance. You mention the code phrase, "I am here to meet a new friend from the University, in the blue room." He nods, ever so slightly, then strides to a door at the side of the foyer. "The blue room will be ready soon. Please, enjoy our private lounge while your other friends arrive." As you enter, you see plush couches and fine wooden furniture. You feel a thick rug beneath your feet, and the room smells faintly of hickory from the fireplace burning merrily in the corner. The maître d' shuts the door softly behind you. Expedition Summary TL;DR Morgrave professor sends Wayfinders to get artifact buried in Cogs before her thieving rival can. They stop by Shamukaar to get intel. There are strong undead. Artifact is found. Rival shows up and they fight. They get the artifact but are forced to take it out of city. Cade and amber go shopping and are followed. Everyone gets on the train. Mysterious Professor appears. Wayfinders have a brief train battle. They search the train and spend four days some time questioning a dead body from the train fight. They get off the train at Wroat to tell the police what happened. Cade meets the King. They go get some rest. Cade and Amber perform. Cyran noble mistakes Cade for Thak. Mindflayer. Airship sailing into the sunset. Act 1 The wayfinders are tasked to get an artifact from an ancient, buried, Dhakaani structure for a professor from Morgrave University, Priscilla ir'Korran. She explains that Schwarzvald (another professor from Morgrave) stole her discovery and will begin excavating imminently. Priscilla is going behind the back of Morgrave’s board, and so she asks that the Wayfinders keep her identity confidential. She is paying the adventurers out of pocket because she wants to stick it to Schwarzvald. Priscilla provides a map to the excavation site and a glyph she believes would be the key to unlocked the door. They Wayfinders depart the restaurant via a skycoach that Relic had arranged to wait outside. One speedy and plunging trip later they finds them down in the Cogs. They enter Khyber’s Gate They decide to stop at the tavern Shamukaar before entering the ruins. However, as they were approaching the tavern, they and their skycoach were hit by a wave of darkness and the coach fell out of the sky. They hit the ground and were damaged, but manages to repair the skycoach and sent him on his way. They weren’t sure how, but those knowledgeable with arcana deduce that the darkness was being produced by a minute mabaran manifest zone. Their quest gains a new urgency when they heard the creaking and groaning of the tunnel walls, as Sharn’s towers began bear down on their foundations with their full weight. After being rudely dismounted from their skycoach, the Wayfinders walk the remaining block to Shamukaar. Once inside, Cade splits from the group and runs onto the stage in the corner, playing a lively song on piano that he dedicates to his new friend, Ketaal. The patrons all know Cade, and they are thrilled with the performance. The other adventurers find Ketaa’ls contact, Mak. He doesn’t know or say much, but he hints that one of the tavern’s patrons might know. Once Cade finishes his song, the adventurers sent him and Su(Amber) over to talk to Drag, one of the Lieutenants of the gang Daask. He warns them to watch out for the undead and Emerald Claw, and that things were getting kinda spooky down in the Cogs. Drag’s advice was accurate, because on their way to the digsite they Wayfinders encountered some very strong zombies in the sewers. The zombies were similar in strength to the elite undead used in the Karnathi army during the war, but more fleshy. They dispatch these bizarrely random undead and took a short rest. While they are resting, the darkness returns and assaults their psyches, giving them a glimpse into the void of Mabar. Once they recover, they made their way down a long tunnel to the dig site. There were Daask guards posted at the entrance who were uncomfortable to be there and the party easily persuades them to leave. After talking their way past guards, the Wayfinders enter and find the source of the guards’ discomfort: an undead workforce chipping away at one of the chamber’s walls next to a large, rune-covered door.. The adventurers are puzzled, because the dig is supposed to be scheduled to take place the following day, giving them plenty of time to get and get out. But but the chamber was already excavated, and there is evidence that Schwarzvald has already been in the room and left again. The wayfinders decide to open the runed door first, using their knowledge of Arcana along with the glyph key that Priscilla had given them. The door opens upon a room that is pitch dark, except for a tiny object in the center discernible only by the tiny motes of light flickering upon its surface. and immediately dark tendrils shoot out and attack the group. Rather than dealing with that nonsense, the group decides to shut the door and lock it. While the players are exploring the room and discussing what to do, Schwarzvald returns to the site accompanied by heavily armored soldiers, undead, and a formidable spellcaster. (The professor’s new companions are not wearing the insignia of the Emerald Claw, but given the presence of undead troops the adventurers assume that they are.). There is a heated argument between Schwarzvald and the Wayfinders that ends prematurely when Gweedo the mage fired first. A raging battle begins, and Schwarzvald vanishes during the first round. The Wayfinders win, barely, but were so wounded they are forced to sleep in the very same chamber because they are too wounded to move. Because they are resting so close to the dark artifact, they have nightmares and feel the taint of void’s touch upon them. Act 2 Having adventured through the night, the Wayfinders awake from their long rest around 8am the next morning. They crack open the artifact’s vault once more, and this time they are ready to dodge the dark trap that has reset. Ketaal finds a control panel that use uses to temporarily shut down the device. Once deactivated, they can see that the room is a giant sphere, with a thin, heavily-corroded spire in the middle. Atop the spire lies a multi-faceted object with 13 sides (it looks similar to a d12). Although it is well out of reach, Su(Amber) pries it loose with mage hand and safely delivers it into the hands of the artificers. Using ancient materials and modern arcana, Ketaal and Relic manage to fashion a storage device that will allow them to transport the artifact out of the city without causing the towers above to fall on their heads. They debate where to go: it can’t stay in the city, and it needs to be someplace where it can be protected. They settle upon Fairhaven, via the lightning rail. This requires them to go up into the city, rather than taking an alternative route through the Cogs. They work their way towards the surface. They emerge from the sewers into lower Khyber’s gate to find it now deserted, the normal every-day rush-to-get-to-work noticeably absent. After they walk a few blocks, the reason becomes apparent: the underground district has been beset upon by undead. An undead troll attacks, nearly killing Relic as his friends are forced to take cover from an alchemist’s shop that has gone up in flame. Relic confronts the troll, grabbing and pushing it into the fire from the exploded alchemists shop. Although he nearly dies in the process, this enables the group to finish it off. After taking a few minutes to recover from their harrowing combat with the troll, they begin cautiously making their way to the surface. On the way, they find signs of other gory battles: unmoving zombies lining the tunnels. The warforged to work and live in the Cogs have already made short work of them. Occasionally they encounter an active zombie, but they dispatch it with minimal effort. As they go, however, they hear a kind of moaning and groaning different from that the zombies are making. They feel occasional rumbling beneath their feet. They soon discover why – parts of the cogs are beginning to collapse. The most direct path to the lightning rail is blocked. They must choose between climbing to the surface through the vents in Blackbones, or they can retrace their steps, and head past Shamukaar to go back the way they entered the Cogs. The Wayfinders decide to take the direct and extremely hazardous path up the vents, made slightly less dangerous by Ketaal and Relic applying rocket thrusters to their boots (SSI Fly Spell). It takes several minutes of careful flying through acrid, smoke filled air, but they eventually emerge from the vent into Cogsgate, a warehouse district in Lower Tavick's Landing. Everyone except Relic breathes their first breath of (relatively) pure air for the first time in over 24 hours. However, the journey through the sewers, the tunnels, and now the forge's flue has left their group looking like twice dead lice-ridden chimney sweeps. As Relic emerges with his cargo intact, a pair of porters stiffen where they had been stooping to investigate the knocking. "Khyber's Canker Sores! The 'forged have grown three heads and are coming to kill us all!" One curses as they trip over themselves in their haste to get away. They run down an ally and around a corner, yelling and screaming all the while. They prestidigitate themselves clean and find that they are standing in an alley between two large warehouses. About 200ft away, at the mouth of the alley, they see some heads poking around the corner to see what's going on. All around they are sturdy warehouses and storage towers. In connecting streets they see teamsters and laborers hauling goods to and from storage vaults. It is a flurry of noise and activity. Looking up, they see the towers of other districts reaching toward the sky. It's around noon, the only time that this district gets direct sunlight. As they are looking up, the artifact that Relic is carrying begins to throb softly. Thin, tendrils of darkness leak from the container and are quickly destroyed by the sunlight, but the area around they seems to grow dimmer. they feel a rumbling in the ground, and a few moments later a shower of dust from the buildings above they falls on their heads. The rumbling continues for about a minute, then stops. The heads at the alley entrance are also looking at the sky, and all noise and activity in the streets has slowed. People begin to murmur to one another at the strange phenomenon that just occurred. They begin heading through Cogsgate, wending their way around sheets choked with traffic of caravans and travelers. They take the most direct path possible, but find themselves considering a detour around one street that is completely blocked by an accident. A halfling teamster diving a gigantic wagon pulled by a three-horn is getting into it with a human teamster transporting a load of ore. The human is accusing the halfling's dinosaur of spooking his horses, and the halfling is saying unpleasant things about the humans mother and nationality. Ketaal grabs a small pot of ink from within his coat, and paints a complex series of geometric patterns onto Relic's body. A minute later, after having sketched out a diagram about three hands-width across, he slaps his sparking fist into the centre of the sigil and the lines of ink suddenly flash azure, and Relic feels a surge of strength pass through the livewood fibres that serve as their muscles. Relic finishes a quick carve into the metal of their chest, long coat thrown wide. As Ketaal’s Azure energy sink into Relic’s muscled frame, the Forged’s own Vermilion energy begins to cause the same body the grow exponentially (Enhanced Ability: Strength and Enlarge Person). Relic, now nearly 16ft tall, strides up to the blocked carts, his footsteps visibly shaking the bystanders. The human teamster's eyes bulge as relic bends over and shifts the cart so that it is no longer stuck on the halfling's wagon. Many of the teamsters ooh and ahh at the show of strength. One hollers at Relic and asks him if he's looking for work. Relic gives the human's cart a shove and the horses begin pulling it away. The halfling stares at him for a minute, then gives the departing human a rude gesture and nods her thanks toward Relic. The gathered crowd backs away from the gigantic Warforged as he strides past the halflings wagon. Soon, he shrinks back to size, and they begin to push their way through the congestion that had built up due to the accident. Many workers nod in appreciation toward the Wayfinders, offering thanks and saying things like "…wish The Watch were that effective!" (While Relic was pushing the cart, however, Amber notices two armored men looking at them from a cafe’s porch. When they see her, they go inside the cafe and disappear. But this is not the last time the Wayfinders will see them. Cade also notices that the human driver seems particularly interested in their group.) The Wayfinders soon arrive at Terminus, where they can see one of House Orien's lightning rail coaches docked at the station. Warforged and burly humanoids are hard at work unloading crates of merchandise and leading wagons away. Skycoaches and magic lifts are prevalent and in constant motion, carrying travelers up to the higher towers. The group waits in the center of the Terminal while Cade is sent off to purchase tickets with the Wayfinder credit card. When he returns, they discover that they still have hours to wait until the train departs. Relic goes to find a snack for the group, Ketaal patrols the terminal, and Cade and Amber venture off to acquire spell reagents for Augury. Cade and Amber's most Excellent Adventure (The following is from a group DM with Cade and Amber as they split from the party) Cade and Amber leave Terminus in search of a vendor who will sell what they need. They are unable to find any magical item vendors, but after asking around they find themselves in Dragoneyes, a red light district. It's after noon, and the place is just starting to stir. A sleepy-eyed madam directs them to Miss Phoebe, a fortune teller. They enter the shop, and are met by a young robed woman of medium stature. She looks up at them from her seat upon a large cushion, and beckons to them. "Welcome to my shop. It was foretold. Come, sit." Amber smiles, sitting down as requested across from the woman. "Hello! I'm wondering if you have any divination for sale. I need it for a spell. Do you have anything like that?" She turns her head towards Cade to double check he's with her. Cade nods, "She requires materials for her to cast a spell." The fortune teller chortles. “Well, you've come to the right place, Sister Su! Divination I certainly have”. She grins at you. "Good! Well, it just needs to-" Amber pauses for a moment, before her face begins to go pale. "Wait...Did...Did you say Su?" (author’s note: at this time Amber was the half-elf persona of the changeling Su, and only a handful of people know Su is her real name.) The woman continues grinning and nods her head "Yes, I did. Do you know me?" "I... I do not..." Amber turns back towards Cade again, before facing back to the woman, still in disbelief. Phoebe nods her head again, as if she expected this answer. She then gestures at table between you. On it rests finely carved bones inlaid with a silvery metal, exactly what you need for their spell components. "What do you offer?" Amber’s face brightens up at the bones, then she moves her gaze back to the woman. "I have 25 gold, but that's all." Cade interjects, “She said sister too, I think she means to say she follows the Traveler as well.” A barely audible gasp leaves Amber’s lips, and she takes her book of "shadows, in the form of a symbol of the traveler with various etchings in it, and puts it on the table between the two.* "I can't give this to you, but if this is true, I want to show my faith." Amber's lips curl upwards in a smile. Phoebe leans down and carefully inspects the book. "...have you been keeping this dry? It smells like sewage." She looks at you with disapproval. Phoebe straightens, and waves away their gold. "Fah. Metal. I have no need of this. Offer me something of value." “Oh!” Amber’s smile grows a tad wider as she puts her holy symbol back to her side. “Maybe some knowledge, some that isn’t passed on often to non-changelings? We encounter a lot of that as Wayfinders.” Phoebe rolls her eyes at Amber. "You come to a woman whose entire livelihood is knowing, and think you should be the one to offer that?" She then smirks knowingly toward Cade. "And you, Cade Brushgather, I know of your exploits. I'm afraid you do not have time to share your 'Morgrave knowledge' with me." She looks back to Amber. "Alright. Let's hear it. What knowledge do you offer?" Cade says, "Yes yes, I understand you do not care for my mainstream religious studies, outstanding." Phoebe bursts into laughter at Cade. "Is that what you children are calling it nowadays?" Cade smiles a bit, realizing she knows more than he thinks. "I'm 38, and I call it necessary." (The fortune teller has thrown back her hood now. She appears to be an elf in her middle age.) “Well, knowledge is rarely a one way street! Anyways, have you heard the tale about Jes?” Amber replies. "But yes, let Su here, tell you the story of Jes." Cade says as he takes out his Lute, providing soft background strumming for Su's story. She snorts, then turns to Amber. "This story is more than the sum of its parts. It matters how it is told. So, tell me." Amber begins to tell the story, weaving the narrative with Cade’s Music. Phoebe nods along to the story, her eyes unfocused and vacant. After you finish, she does not move for several minutes. Then, she cocks her head to one side as listening to something else. "I accept your payment. You have come far, but still have far to go. Leave now. Some men are looking for you and will be here within minutes. Go back a different way than you came." She gestures toward the door. Cade quickly stands, hands on his Rapier, looking towards the entrance they came in. "How do you know this? All of this." Phoebe laughs. "That answer has a price you cannot afford. Not yet." "Thank you so much for all of this. I'm glad I can pass my knowledge on. If there's a way I can repay you for this, let me know." "Yeah, send a letter to the Wayfinder's lounge, Su, we've gotta go....Now." "Got it." Amber casts disguise self, making herself appear as a decently dresses shifter. "let's go." Amber and Cade head back out into the street. There are a few more people but it is still early for the red light district. They see a few women hanging laundry, and a richly dressed pair going over a ledger. Amber and Cade glance back the way they came and see the two armored men from before, talking to one of the Madams they asked directions from. “Can we return to the lightning rail? Should I misdirect them?" Amber whispers. Cade replies, "No, she gave us a lead, lets just leave." "Alright." Amber and Cade begin making their way back to the lightning rail, taking measures to make sure they are not being followed. Unfortunately, a number of the courtesans are thrilled to see Cade, haven't seen him perform before. This draws a lot of attention, and others come over to say hello and ask Cade when he will be returning to perform again. However, the men who were searching for them are nowhere to be found. After making many promises to return and perform soon, Cade and Su escape the throng and make it back to the lightning rail. ~~ end split party~~ Act 3 Upon their return to the Lightning Rail Terminus, Cade and Amber inform the others that they were followed. The group decides they should board the train early and fine a place for Amber to cast Augury. To do so, they must pass through security without losing the artifact. But as luck would have it, one of the guards is an fanboy of Cade’s, and with one signed autograph the group is let through. The Wayfinders move through security, drawing scowls from those who are waiting in line to get patted down by the guards. Workers are still loading baggage and crated merchandise onto the train. Once they step inside, the bustle of the terminal fades and is replaced by the soft by powerful hummmm of the conductor stones. There are a few passengers already on the train, a few reading the Korranberg Chronicle. One bespectacled dwarf is leaned against the glass and is snoring loudly. Time passes. More passengers board the train. One comes to the Wayfinder’s borrowed cabin and finds it locked. Cursing ensues as they go off to get help from the conductor. Su sits down and begins ritual casting augury, and after 11 minutes she asks "Is it safe to leave on the train?" The bones fall into position: Weal and Woe. Relic and Ketaal are less than thrilled, and the group leaves the cabin. As they do so, the conductor strides up just as Cade and Su are leaving the cabin. He sizes all of themup, not even blinking at the hulking warforged. "Tickets please." Cade happily gathers the four’s tickets and presents them. The conductor accepts and glances over the tickets. "It appears that sirs and madam are lost. Allow me to show you to your seats." He pokes his head into the cabin, making sure it is undefiled. Then, he leads all of you to your seats. Another customer hails him and he leaves. Soon it is nearly time for the train to depart. The Wayfinders scan those trickling in to find their seats for any potential woes. The train doors begin closing. But, just when they think you are in the clear, they see the two men who have been trailing them rush through security, then have a heated discussion with the conductor. You can't hear what is begin said, but it's clear that they want the train to wait for their luggage to be stowed: two very large footlockers. The conductor, red in the face, relents. And the two men board the train. Shortly thereafter, the train pulls away from the station. The two armored appear in the same car as the Wayfinders, moving through it to get to their seats. Cade identifies them, and Relic stands up to confront them, bluntly asking if they are following the group. The men deny it, and there is heated exchange of insults (mostly from Cade), during which Relic gently grabs one of the men by the shoulder. It is at this moment that the conductor arrives with the guards. The confrontation ends, and the Wayfinders end up with a House Deneith chaperone. The group takes their seats, and try to relax as adrenaline from the confrontation leaves their bodies. The train pulls away from the station, and soon they see the towers of Sharn receding from view. Their seats are located in the forwardmost passenger car. It is roughly half full, about 30 people. It is clean and the benches are padded. It smells vaguely like a mildewed closet and the fish that one bespectacled gentleman is eating from a small pouch. As the Wayfinders relax, they begin to converse about the days events. Suddenly, they feel a sense of vertigo as if the floor beneath them had disappeared. In fact, the floor has dropped a few inches. They hear the walls of the car groaning as suddenly supporting more wait than usual. The everbright lanterns in their sconces sputter and dim, so that the car is only lit by the setting sun seen through the western windows. After a moment, the torches flicker back to full strength and everything is calm; except for the passengers who mutter to themselves about dark omens. Wondering what just happened, Ketaal opens the bag holding the artifact. Ketaal opens the bag to check on the container. A thin, tendril of darkness pokes out for a moment before dissolving into the air. The inside of the bag is dimmer than it should be. The container looks intact still. One little boy sitting across the aisle stares at the bag, open mouthed in wonder. Cade pulls out his Lute, performing soothing songs for the passengers, to their great enjoyment. The rest of the group discuss what to do. As they converse, the sun fully sets. A short while later one of the train employees sticks her head into the car, "The dining car is now open!" They can feel their stomachs growl at the thought of food; they have not had time to eat much today. They take turns going to get food, and settle down for a long, three day train ride to Fairhaven. (It is now around 7:30 in the afternoon; they have almost been on this adventure 24 hours.) While the Wayfinders are still enjoying their repast, they receive an invitation to meet with a colleague of Ketaal and classmate of Cade. They decide to accept. As they make their way between cars, they realize that the guard posted in their car is following. They pause to glance at him. He pauses as well, cocking his head to the side as if to ask "why are we stopping?" They continue into the first class cars. Even here, the hallways are cramped, allowing them to only go single file. They find Dala Arand's suite. When they knock on the door, a feminine voice bids them to enter. They do so, cramming your group into the small living area reserved for first class customers (each area is large enough for 4 guests). The young scholar is seated at a small writing desk. She greets them with a smile, crinkling the sun-weathered skin around her bright blue eyes. She wears a broad-brimmed hat over her close-cropped dark hair. Her clothes are practical, including a number of pouches hanging from her belt. She looks ready to take off on an expedition, even from within the luxurious confines of the lightning rail cabin. She smiles at Ketaal… and even at the rest of the group as they file into the room. "Hello Ketaal…and company. Thank you for accepting my invitation." On the desk in front of her are two glasses, but she opens a drawer in the desk and retrieves three more. She rummages through a tray of expensive looking liquors, "I'm afraid that Orien does not stock korluaat." She continues rummaging, before lifting a small, crystal decanter of brown liquid, "Will Mrorian single malt do?" Dala gives them her shpeel. She wants to negotiate a cease-fire the Wayfinders and Schwarzvald, in exchange for everyone (including her) sharing equal credit for discovering the device. They reject her offer, but counter that she is welcome to join them in ensuring that the device stays out of the Emerald Claw’s hands. She accepts, and puts it in writing for Cade to sign. As soon as he has, though, they notice that the train car is accelerating. The Wayfinders dash out of the car, with Cade leading the way. He throws open the door to the front of the car, and is met by the sight of two undead wielding swords and shields, and behind them a living human in plate trying to uncouple the luxury car they are standing in from the crew cargo car in front. There is a very brief combat, with Relic shoving the two zombies off the train and Amber suggesting that the human “go stop the train.” The other Wayfinders realize that this would be a bad idea, though, since Dala has told them that their train is accelerating because the previous cars have been disconnected, and thus will slam into their car should the train suddenly stop. They attack the human before he can accomplish his task, and Dala drops from the roof like a ninja and assassinates the human. Dala flushes, looking very embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you wanted to talk to him. You seemed pretty intent on killing him." She looks around. "...maybe there's more of them?" Just then, the door to the cabin opens. It's one of the crew. She sees the dead body and screams. She turns to run back toward the engine. The Wayfinders try to reassure her that they are friendly, but to no avail. The door slams shut, but a moment later opens, revealing the conductor and another guard from House Deneith. The guard has his sword drawn, and the conductor is wielding a rather large repeating crossbow. He scowls at the body at the floor, then at the group. "You are the same ones who were starting trouble before, aren't you? Couldn't you wait until you were off my train?" He looks out the closest window, the hollers back in the direction of the engine. "Marrissa! Tell Jimmy to decelerate! We need to recouple the cars." He glowers at the group again. "Well. Do they have any proof that this man is with the Claw?" The group (read: Cade) manages to convince the train employees that they are not terrorists, and are allowed to help sweep the rest of the train looking for any clues/signs of the remaining suspected Emerald Claw member. They make a sweep through the train, finding no trace of zombie or the other armored man. They ask the passengers from steerage, and they say that the men only stayed in their seats for about 30 minutes before they left towards the front of the train. The two men left nothing in the car. Upon checking their storage in the sleeper car, however, they find their two footlockers are empty. Ketaal sees that the little boy from earlier seems to want to say something, but his parents shush him. Insisting that every clue is important, he hears the boy recount seeing two burned looking figures marching off into the woods, and later an armored man following after them. By the time they have finished searching the train, it is nearly dawn. They are exhausted, and go to meet the conductor in his office at the front of the train. He informs them that they will need to disembark the train when they arrive in Wroat to be processed by the authorities there. In the meantime, however, they are given freedom to interrogate the dead body via speak with dead. The spell requires that the caster not be someone hostile to the corpse, e.g. not one of the people that just killed. So, it is settled that Ketaal will cas the spell, while Amber will change her form and ask the questions. Grumbling, Ketaal waves his hand over a small Khyber dragonshard that he took from one of his voluminous pockets in his great coat. He pries open the corpses mouth and carefully places the jewel into his mouth. He then closes its mouth with a hand and snaps his fingers, leading to an audible shattering sound in the air. A second later, blue-black light erupts from its eyes, nose and mouth as the animating spirit returns to its body. The corpse twitches and convulses as through a current were running through it. After a moment it stills. Its head jerks to the side, and looks in the direction of Ketaal, as if it recognized him. After a tense moment, it lulls to the side and a raspy sigh emits from its mouth, which speaks, "Ask," in a gravelly voice. Amber asks her questions, and receives very cryptic answers. She learns that the men intended to flee to the forest if they retrieved the artifact. She also learns that the artifact is a weapon, a tool, and a gift, but in some respects it is none of the above. She learns that the Emerald Claw want to use the device, presumably as a weapon, to destroy “The Pretenders.” She lastly learns that Schwarzvald is coming for them, and is headed for Wroat. The Wayfinders make their way back to their seats, discussing the answers the corpse gave while they wait for their imminent arrival in wroat. While waiting, Cade prevails upon Amber to play a song. Her song and lively and upbeat: A Valenar folk song about a hero named Laucian, from its Pre-Galifar days. Valenar was at war with the Dhakaani Empire, and the hero Laucian defeats the hobgoblin general Gra'al by tricking him into thinking that the elves are asleep. The general is forced to surrender. But, impressed by the hobgoblin's gracefulness in defeat, Laucian graciously allows him to quit the field with his troops. Towards the end of the song, the passengers begin trickling in, finally waking from a night of interrupted slumber. Theytap their feet as they listen, and politely applaud once Amber finishes. Their train pulls begins to slow as it approaches Wroat. A great walled city, looms in your window. It is surrounded by the shores of the Howling River, just a few miles east of where the Howling River meets the Dagger River. The city was built in a place where the river widens, so that the city lines not only both banks but also occupies an island that the city founders constructed in the middle of the river. Brokenblade Castle, the Citadel, and the walls and bridges of the city can be seen from a great distance, and while Wroat isn’t as spec As it pulls into the station, they can see an assortment of passengers and teamsters waiting for the train to halt. Garen enters the car and asks the Wayfinders to wait. A few minutes later, He is joined by fierce looking soldiers bearing the insignia of the King's Swords. Their leader, a formidable female half-elf paladin approaches them. "I am Ellanar, Captain of the Kings Swords. I hear you are responsible for the dead man found aboard the lightning rail while it was in Brelish jurisdiction. You will come with me." She says as a matter of fact. She leads them off the train. As they exit, they are flanked by guards and conveyed through the streets, reaching the center of Wroat. Before them, a tall, obsidian structure reaches towards the sky. Across the parade green they see Brokenblade Castle with the Brelish Flag and the King's flag fluttering in the wind. As they enter into the confines of the Citadel, the sounds of Wroat city life fade away, until cutting off entirely when the large wooden door booms behind them. Act 4 After a sufficiently beurocratically-long length of time passes, a door to the right of the desk opens and Ellanar enters. "We have reviewed Orien's account of what happened on the train. It is because of the good word of Garen Deneith and because of the reputation of the Wayfinder Foundation that you have been allowed to keep your weapons and have not been searched. We will get you on your way as soon as possible, but first we need to interview each of you individually." "The interview will be conducted within a zone of truth. You will only be asked questions regarding the incident on the train and any pertinent events in the days leading up to it. You are allowed to decline individual questions, but you will need to give a reason for doing so, and it might prolong our investigation…and your release from this building."She looks at you sternly. "You may not resist the Zone of Truth enchantment. If you do so, we will know of it, and you will be detained until we can ascertain why. Normally, impeding an investigation comes with a fine of up to one hundred galifars and/or jail time. But we know you Wayfinders have deep pockets, so we might just stick with the latter." She smiles. You sense that she is not trying to be threatening, but is trying to feed dutiful in doing her job. Each of the Wayfinders is called into a separate interviewing room. Inside each room is an interviewer and a Zone of Truth technician. Each is questioned regarding the incidents on the train, the Emerald Claw, and the artifact. All of them are incredibly unhelpful and vague. Except for Cade. ~~Transcript of Cade’s Interview~~ Cade is lead to room with a chair in the center. Bright light from magically augmented lanterns shine down on the chair. There are dark alcoves where the light from the lamps does not penetrate. Cade feel eyes looking at him. There is a robed man in his mid-40s standing beside the chair. "This is magister Simeon. He will be administering the zone of truth during the interview. He will know if you choose to resist the spell." Simeon impassively nods to you. "Do you submit freely to the use of my spell?" Cade assents. He nods again. "Have a seat." Once Cade is seated, Simeon reaches over and touches the back of the chair, and you can feel the effects of the Zone of Truth assail you. Cade does not resist, feeling a warm fuzzy feeling in the back of his head. He runs through a series of test questions about Cade’s name and credentials. Once he has verified these, he moves on to asking about the incident. "Do you fully believe that your life was in danger aboard the Five Nations express?" "Absolutely." "How do you know the man you killed was a member of the Emerald Claw?" "I presumed since they were armored terrorists with undead well outfitted undead at their disposal." Cade replies. "Do you have any connection with the Claw? Also, have you had any interaction with him in the preceding week?" "No, and at this point I'm not certain." Simeon pauses. "Please clarify." "I mean, were they following Morgrave staff? They tried to separate Dala and us, and I used to be a Morgrave student. I did see a lot of armored guys following me back in Sharn." Simeon’s eyes narrow. "Why would armored men be following you?" "I'm not sure." He gives Cade a look. "What is your best guess?" "I already told you, trying to steal from Morgrave?" "What from Morgrave would they be trying to steal?" Simeon looks incredulous. “I......think I might know? Some artifact that we saved from destroying Sharn. Hey Simeon can I ask you a question? By the way, we safely contained it so that it is no longer a danger.” Simeon’s head jerks up and he looks at Cade intently. "It is a bit unorthodox for the interviewee to ask questions, but go ahead." “What’s being done about the massive slip up? I mean the fact that you asked me that they were Emerald Claw tells me that you suspect they were too?” "We are grateful that you have contained the danger from this... artifact. This threat did fly under the scrying spell, as it were. The King's interest has been piqued and we are getting to the bottom of the recent disturbances in Sharn." "Where is the artifact now?" “Safe, and on its way out of the country.” "Who is in possession of the artifact, and what is their Allegiance? How can we know it will not become a threat to Breland?" “Their allegiance is to the safety of Breland, of that I swear on my life.” ((Cade makes a successful patriotism ability check)) Simeon scowls and shakes his head. "That isn't what I asked. Where is-" he cuts off as a figure emerges from one of the shadowy alcoves: a heavily armored man; very old, yet appearing quite despite his gray hairs. He is flanked by two ghost tigers, which glower at you hungrily. After a moment, Cade recognize him: King Boranel. ".........Hosts above." Cade stands and bows before his king. "My king, it is an honor to meet you." Boranel glances at the interviewer. "That's enough Simeon. I do not think this man is a threat to my Kingdom." He looks at Cade. "Rise, Cade. I have received reports trouble in Sharn. The towers were quaking, and those who live at the top are quite alarmed. My agents have been scrambling to locate the cause. Do you know the source of this threat?" "An artifact my King." Cade rises, trying to contain his joy for the sake of composure. "We found it in the depths of the cogs in a dig site. My colleagues and I were hired to retrieve it from there after one of our employer's colleagues poached the site from her. This poacher's name was Professor Schwarzwald, and we discovered that he had allied himself with the Emerald Claw, yet they had a disagreement on the items end-purpose. I'm afrarid I'm just a Bard, and not understanding of the magical powers of this artifact, but Ketaal and Relic understand it perfectly, they mentioned that it might have an effect on Sharn's manifest zone, and we decided to get it out of Sharn immediately for the sake of the city's safety. We planned to take the artifact to Fairhaven, where our foundation is headquartered and rendezvous with our employer, a professor at our fine Morgrave University there. As we took the Rail to Fairhaven, our train was attacked by the claw, who had stowed away. We dispatched them before they could harm us, but we managed to learn that Schwarzwald awaits us in Wroat." Cade pants a bit, out of breath from speaking so fast. Boranel studies Cade gravely as he listens to the report. He is silent for a moment after Cade finishes. Then, "I commend you for getting this danger out of Sharn so quickly. If you had delayed, it surely would have led to disaster. Can you tell me its final destination and purpose, after you deliver it?" Cade looks over Boranel. ((Cade makes a wisdom save to disbelieve any illusion he is seeing. The king appears to be real. Just be safe, though, Cade rolls History as well and gets a natural twenty.)) "My King, I'm sorry, but we've been hounded so long by imposters and assassins, may I ask you one question?" "Who was the Valenar master who taught you to ride a horse?" Boranel blinks. Cade gets the impression he is not used to be questioned. Then a grin works its way toward his ears. He tilts his head back roars in laughter. After a few moments, he subsides. "Ah, Cade. It is good to not to be too trusting. Although it would be impressive indeed if someone were to impersonate me within my own citadel." He looks at Cade for a few moments more to make him sweat. "It was Eliri. And what's more, I know one of your traveling companions, Ketaal. He was in the last caravan of migrants before we pulled out of Droaam. Even early on I could tell he was a bright young man; I personally arranged for him to be posted with my engineer irregulars." Cade sighs in relief and grins confidently. "My King, you continue to impress. Yes he is bright, though his tongue embarrasses his brain often. Pardon my distrust, it is only as Beggar Dane would do though." "Now, as to your question, I believe that the artifact, once it's safety can be assured and its powers contained, it will be returned to Morgrave University." "Of course, I do not know this, and am presuming this based on the fact that our employer is a long term Morgrave University professor. I will, of course, ensure that the artifact returns to Morgrave." Boranel looks at the interviewer. "Simeon, go let the others know to expedite their interviews." Simeon bows and leaves to do as he is bid. As he leaves, Cade feesl the effects of the Zone of Truth fade from his mind. Boranel turns back. Cade senses that the two of them are alone. "I trust that you will ensure that this artifact ends in good hands, and will not become a danger to any of the Five Nations, Breland above all." "Cade... The treaty of thronehold is on shaky grounds. There are forces moving, some that even we are barely aware of. I need talented, loyal individuals. I think you would make a fine addition to the Dark Lanterns." "I know it's a lot to as; you don't have to answer right now. If you do come aboard, I will have you stay on with the Wayfinder Foundation, I will never ask you to betray your friends. I just need to know what forces are at play and how best to protect Breland, while I still have life left in me." He stops and waits, studying Cade’s reaction. “My king, this is an extreme honor........I fear though I must ask one more thing of you before I accept. I will ponder this, but I must let you know I have devoted my life to a vision of Khorvaire at peace. If I can pursue that dream through service to you, stopping wars, saving nations, and squashing schemes, then I am yours beyond Dolurhh.” “Yet, if I am to push an agenda that starts yet another 100 years long conflict, then I cannot be a part of it. Can I count on you, King Boranel Ir’Wynarn, Heir of Galifar, to be a champion of peace? To make it your first priority? Abandoning it only in defense of Breland?” Boranel sighs and seems to deflate, and for the first time he seems to bear the weight of his age. "Things are not always so simple, Cade. There are secrets a king is privy to that even the most well-read bard is not. All I can say is this: the war was more than merely spoiled children squabbling for power." He rubs his beard and looks to the east, considering his words. "Early in the war, I stubbornly believed that reunification not just possible, but absolutely necessary. As the war went on, the death of those on all sides, but especially my people, began to weigh on me. Then the Mourning happened, and although Breland was positioned to win the war, I used our advantage sue for peace." He returns his gaze to you. "I was the author of the Treaty of Thronehold. The five nations shall remain so, and I will not bring war to them, or other signatories to the Treaty of Thronehold." He flexes his fists and his expression becomes a thunderhead. "However, I will not say the same for Droaam. Those... hags... killed my Chaseva! And if I had proof? We would be marching before week's end. The Daughters appear to be civilized, but the schemes they hatch in the shadows will not allow us the peace which you seek." "Is my answer to your satisfaction?" “........Yes, my King. You will have my response once I return to Sharn. In the meantime, we must get underway to Fairhaven at once.” He nods. "My men will not detain you or your companions any longer." He strides over the door and opens it. "Captain Vron here will escort you back to your friends." A plain looking fellow in fine but nondescript leathers appears and leads you back to the lounge. Just before you enter, he hands you a small folded piece of paper, then disappears down a connecting hallway. “Thank you Captain Vron!” Captain Vron waves at Cade without looking back. ~~End Interviews~~ When the Wayfinders emerge from their interviews, Cade tells them that he met the king, but not what was said. Although his companions are dubious, they find themselves released from questioning. They decide to take Dala up on her offer of an airship ride, and head to the nearest Sivis station for her to relay the message. Then they head to an inn by the name of Flamin’ Fly to rest. Cade negotiates free rooms under a pseudonym, as long as he performs. And after a long rest, he and Amber do perform, and the crowd loves it. Unfortunately, their last number number is interrupted by an angry Cyran nobleman who is looking for “Thak of the Black Sands,” the same pseudonym that Cade chose. At the request of the innkeeper, they “take it outside.” While they are arguing about whether or not they should kill each other, a carriage arrives containing an extremely large Mindflayer. It nearly kills everyone, but the parties manage to put aside their differences in order to drive it off. Except for one mysterious individual in the crowd who manages to disappear. As soon as the Mindflayer leaves, the Wayfinders make their way up to the Airship to get out of town before they must answer more questions from the guards. On the airship, it soon becomes apparent how Dala was able to acquire its services. She promised the pilot that the Wayfinder Foundation would accept his proposal to send an expedition to Xen’drik to rescue his captain and crewmember. The Wayfinders were less than thrilled to be used in such a way, but decide to introduce the pilot to Boroman ir’Dayne anyways. The next two days are uneventful, and soon they arrive in Fairhaven and deliver the artifact safely. Epilogue Relic looses another Shatter at the gloating flayer. The mindflayer absorbs the spell again, but the toll is wearing on its flesh as more and more of it turns to purple goop and splatters the lookers-on. It makes a desperate attempt to grab Relic, who bats away the tentacles with their plated arm. The purple abomination takes one last look at all of you. You sense it is memorizing your faces. Then it turns sideways and folds in on itself, vanishing.The Mindflayer emerges somewhere into darkness of Khyber and is motionless, dumbstruck. Never before has it been thwarted by the tiny surface-morsels. It lets out a psychic roar, its rage flattening all of the thralls and lesser illithids within a moderate distance. It has returned empty handed. Dread is an unfamilliar sensation to this one. It contemplates what its master will do when it finds out. The mindflayer must find out who those surface-morsels were. Hope. It has an idea. … Lassa d’Medani settles back into work after returning from the island and his encounter with the Fungus Mother. He turns down an expedition from the Wayfinders in order to catch up on House work. He helps find missing persons, lost items, the usual detective work. But much of the time, he is leaning back in his chair, feet propped on his desk, staring at the wall. In his mind he replays the horrors he encountered on that island. There is a knock on the door, and a distraught human woman comes in. Her husband is missing, help her find him, etc, etc. Lassa has heard it many times before, but he jumps to the task. Anything to take his mind off that island. It was easy to track down the missing husband to a warehouse where reportedly spends time with his mistress. Lassa shakes his head. People never change. . He carefully picks the lock, creeping into the dark building using his half-elven eyes to avoid banging into something and giving his presence away. He opens the door to the lover’s secret rendezvous and finds...nothing. It’s just an empty room. He halts and scratches his head, unsure how his source could have been so wrong. He is still wondering he feels a menacing presence behind him. He spins, weapons flying into his hands as he prepares to defend himself. His weapons clatter to the floor, as a crooning noise fills the air. Long, purple tentacles snake out of the darkness and grab him by the head, cutting open his skull and removing his brain. The mindflayer feasts, and its eyes light up with the knowledge it has just consumed. ”/Wayfinders/” The mind flayer finally has an answer it can serve its master. I browses through Lassa’s memories, through the secret files the inquisitive kept on every member of the Wayfinder Foundation, then he projects the information down, deep into the ground, to his master.(edited) ----------------------------- In-Character Transcripts https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ar4dGgTTRzbJgo4JGvZBanVwJiHtUA Category:Expedition